Cook a Big Gay Thanksgiving

Louis Lambert's Braised Greens with Smoked Ham Hock
makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 pounds mustard, 
turnip, or collard greens or kale, stemmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 smoked ham hock

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about four minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Pour the chicken stock, water, and vinegar into the pot and bring to a boil. Add the greens in batches; as the greens wilt into the hot liquid, continue putting them in the pot until they have all been added. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and ham hock. When the liquid has returned to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, about one hour. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Country ham is a cured ham from the southern United States. They are salt-cured for one to three months and then usually smoked for added flavor, though they do not have to be smoked to be called a country ham. After curing, the hams are aged anywhere from several months to two to three years. This curing and aging process produces a ham that is very salty and somewhat dense. The hams are soaked in water and the salt and the mold scrubbed off before they are cooked whole or sliced and pan-fried. A country ham is similar to a leg of Italian prosciutto, but prosciutto is not smoked and typically a little moister. Country hams are usually sold as unrefrigerated bone-in hams wrapped in cotton or burlap bags.

Reprinted with permission from Big Ranch, Big City Cookbook: Recipes From Lambert’s Texas Kitchens by Louis Lambert and June Naylor, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House Inc.